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“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.” (Romans 8:9-13, ESV)

Pastor Abel’s sermon on this passage is titled “Hear the Spirit’s Voice?”

In this passage, Paul uses many phrases that point to the foundational doctrine of the Trinity. For example, he uses the phrase “the Spirit of God” alongside the phrase “the Spirit of Christ.” He also mentioned how the Spirit raised Jesus from the dead while, in the same sentence, saying that “he who raised Christ” will give life through his Spirit.

All of this is pointing to the mystery of the Godhead that the church has labeled the Trinity. Ligonier summarizes this doctrine as follows:

The doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to the Christian faith and to Christian living, since knowing God is at the heart of biblical religion and God is fully revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the unfolding of the divine mystery. The one true and living God eternally exists in three distinct yet inseparable persons. [Read the full article here]

In the early centuries after Jesus ascended to heaven, there arose disputes among Christians about the nature of Christ. Was he fully God? Was he fully man? Was he another God? Was he created by God? All of these questions created much controversy, and in A.D. 325, at the first Council of Nicaea, the doctrine of the Trinity was first formulated as completely as possible to resolve them.

This doctrine is deep, mysterious, and profoundly important to our understanding of who God is, how he works in the world, and reaches to the heart of the gospel message itself. If we want to truly know the God who loves us, we must believe in the truth of the Triune God.

 

For Further Study

  • How has the doctrine of the Trinity impacted your spiritual life?
  • Book recommendation: The short book Delighting In The Trinity by Michael Reeves will give you a better understanding of this doctrine and show just how central it is to the heart of the gospel. The book is also available in podcast form here.

 

Small Group Questions

  • What is a moment from your life where you felt the Spirit leading you to act (or not act)? What happened?
  • How do we know if we are being led by the Spirit of God, our emotions / desires, our own mind, or something else?
  • How does the truth that the Holy Spirit lives in all believers change the way we relate to the future?
  • Read John 14:15-27. Discuss what stands out about the Holy Spirit and his role in our lives.